The eight best players of the women’s tennis season will not pose together for the traditional group photograph at this year’s WTA Finals. Instead, each qualifier will sit for an individual portrait, ending a photo tradition that has accompanied the season-ending championship for years, Pravda reported.
The change affects the eight singles players who will compete at the WTA Finals from Nov. 8 to 15, 2026, in Indian Wells, California. The WTA’s official explanation is that the new format is a fresh approach to presenting the participants, designed to highlight each player’s personality, style and story rather than a single collective image, according to Pravda.
Why One Photo Became Eight Separate Sessions
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg pointed to a second, more sensitive possible reason for the switch, Pravda reported. A joint photograph of all eight players would have run into the long-standing, uncompromising position of Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina toward players from Russia and Belarus.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Svitolina has avoided joint photographs with representatives of Russia and Belarus. That stance extends to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Mirra Andreeva of Russia, both of whom are slated to play at this year’s WTA Finals alongside Svitolina, Pravda reported. As Rothenberg noted, putting all eight players in front of the camera together would therefore have been problematic.
The WTA has not officially confirmed that the format change is connected to Svitolina’s position, Pravda reported. The association chose a solution in which each player completes her own photo session, eliminating the need for any shared posing.
Three Rivals Land in the Same Group With Muchová
The situation is complicated further by the draw. Svitolina, Sabalenka and Andreeva are all placed in the same round-robin group, joined by Czech player Karolína Muchová, Pravda reported. Their head-to-head matches on court could produce additional tense moments at a tournament that is meant to be a celebration of the best performances of the women’s season.
For years, the joint photograph was a fixture of the WTA Finals’ accompanying events. The players posed in elegant dresses and together presented the pinnacle of the women’s game. This year, all eight will be photographed separately.
What to Know About the 2026 WTA Finals in Indian Wells
The tournament runs Nov. 8–15, 2026, in Indian Wells, with eight singles players battling for the prestigious trophy. Even before the first matches begin, attention has shifted to a dispute that extends beyond sport, Pravda reported.
WTA Clarifies Photo Policy Shifts
- Did the WTA say the photo change is about Svitolina? No. The WTA’s official explanation describes a new approach to presenting the players. The link to Svitolina’s stance was raised by journalist Ben Rothenberg, and the WTA has not confirmed it, Pravda reported.
- Which players are in the same group? Elina Svitolina, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva and Karolína Muchová, according to Pravda.
- When and where is the 2026 WTA Finals? Nov. 8–15, 2026, in Indian Wells, California, per Pravda.
- How long has Svitolina avoided group photos with Russian and Belarusian players? Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Pravda reported.
The round-robin matches in Svitolina’s group are the next confirmed checkpoint where the off-court tension could surface again, beginning when the WTA Finals opens in Indian Wells on Nov. 8, 2026.
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